1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer image display.
2. Background Art
Computer systems using multi-window operating systems are commonly used in business and personal settings. These multi-window operating systems permit more than one application to be running in a system at one time, dedicating one or more windows to each application. These applications can vary from simple text editors and spreadsheets to advanced graphics editors and other complex programs. No application running in a window need be related in any way to any application running in a separate window.
FIG. 14A shows a typical prior art display screen 1400 containing two windows 1410 and 1420. Window 1410 is associated with a word-processing program. It shows a portion 1415 of a written document depicting different printer fonts and sizes. Window 1420 is associated with a painting program. It shows a portion 1425 of a bitmapped image of a locomotive. Window 1410 has a vertical scroll bar 1430 with a scroll box 1435 along its right hand side, and a horizontal scroll bar 1440 with a scroll box 1445 along its bottom. Window 1420 has a vertical scroll bar 1450 with a scroll box 1455 along its right hand side, and a horizontal scroll bar 1460 with a scroll box 1465 along its bottom. The regions of the windows showing portion 1415 and portion 1425 are known as the client area. Those regions external to the client area, including the window borders, scroll bars, menus, etc., are designated as the non-client area.
To make the process of using a computer more enjoyable, a market has developed for software that personalizes the computer display. Prior art systems allow a user to select photographs or other images or sequences of images from a gallery to be displayed on a computer display screen. However, these systems use dedicated image editing, screen saver or presentation programs that display images only in their own windows. These programs do not allow a user to perform operations in other windows while the image display program is active. Furthermore, prior art systems do not allow images to be "attached" by a user to any application program without modification of the application program and without requiring any special capabilities of the application program.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,819, Watkins discloses a control system for writing image data to a multiple-window dynamic display by use of a window frame buffer, an image frame buffer, and valid data buffers. Watkins does not address the issue of how it is determined what images to display in each window, nor how the relative sizes and positions are determined.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,345, Knowles et al. disclose a control system for synchronizing images and audio clips provided by CD/ROM and Video Disk (VD) players and/or sounds and images generated by a computer's CPU, for interactive multimedia applications. The system disclosed includes a user interface called a "Control Bar" that presents a consistent set of controls to a user for use with a variety of applications. In order to use the control bar, an application program must be modified to access the control bar's controls.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,482, Bohrman discloses a video control system that allows a user to play back video clips stored on a recording media such as a video disk. The user is able to manipulate segments from a video disk using icons.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,677, Fleming et al. disclose a multi-window user interface that displays a manipulatable mini-icon in the caption or title bar of an application or object window that represents the application program or object. The purpose of this mini-icon is to allow a user to manipulate the mini-icon in the same manner that the original icon for the application or object displayed in the window can be manipulated where opening the window hides the original icon.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,447, Miller et al. disclose a method for giving a "non-container object" (e.g. an application program) in an operating environment certain characteristics of a "container object" such as a file folder. The method disclosed consists of providing a "container pane" displayed in a window that includes a region in which objects contained in the "non-container object" are displayed as icons. These icons can be manipulated as if they were contained in a container object.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,470, Birch et al. disclose a windowing operating environment that provides multiple display layers, each of which may display multiple windows. The order of windows within a layer may be changed, but the order of the layers themselves is fixed. Objects displayed in windows on one layer may be moved to a window in a different layer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,435, Bronson discloses a system for managing windows on a display screen in which inactive windows are reduced to tabs that are located around the periphery of the main desktop.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,314, Baber et al. disclose an application program for scheduling meetings that provides a pop-up window in which a photograph of a desired meeting attendee may be displayed. The graphic display capability is a function of the application program and provides no ability to associate images with other arbitrary applications.
In Japanese reference JP 05-204795, Aoshima et al. disclose an electronic mail application program that uses photographs of users of the system to identify senders and receivers of mail and also to identify the sources of comments in a circulating document. This photograph association is a part of the mail application, providing no ability to attach images to other applications. Further, the user has no control over what image is assigned as it is determined by the sender of a mail message.